Crossing Lines
by E4flying
Summary: Neal Caffrey and Bryce Larkin are brothers who haven't seen each other in years. When they are assigned to the same mark, they hatch a plan to work together to both achieve their goals, even under the nose of the FBI.
1. Chapter 1

He had been tracking the target for weeks now, staying under cover of the shadows and lurking on the sidelines to gather intel. Of course his mission was to take the target out, but first they needed to see how deep the target's pockets were lined and who would be collateral when he did.

He had received word that the target was on the move, looking to make a deal with a person yet unknown. It was his job to find out everything he could about the deal without being noticed by either party.

That's why he was currently strolling down the streets of New York City, maintaining a casual appearance as he circled towards the club where the deal was taking place. He had chosen to dress like a businessman in order to best blend in with the midday crowd on their lunch break, so he had donned a grey suit and tie. Not his usual appearance, but he was employed for his ability to adapt to whatever the situation required.

And right then it required him to sneak, unnoticed, into a restricted club. Unfortunately, unnoticed was not in the cards for the day.

"Neal?" he heard a voice behind him say. He ignored it as part of the din of New York on a daily basis, but then a hand latched onto his arm and spun him around. "Neal, what the hell are you doing out here? You should be in there with Tanner."

Bryce reached reflexively for his gun, tucked in the waistband of his suit. In one fluid motion, he had his gun out and had pulled the man into an alley off of the busy street.

"Neal-" the man's voice died in his throat at the sight of the gun.

Bryce saw the man reach his right hand across his body and he acted as his training had taught him. A second later Bryce had one gun in each hand; his own in his right, and the man's in his left, which he recognized as a law enforcer's sidearm. He tucked that one in his waistband and kept the other one trained on the man. He reached into the shocked man's jacket pocket and pulled out an ID with the FBI.

"Special Agent Peter Burke," he read from the ID. He handed it back to the man and lowered his gun, but didn't put it away.

"Neal, what the hell has gotten into you?"

Bryce finally put together Agent Burke's comments with the shocked look on his face. He glanced at the watch on his wrist and the earpiece tucked into his ear. Smiling slightly, he grabbed Burke's watch, effectively stopping his protests by raising the gun slightly. He pushed a button in the side and held it up to his mouth. "Neal," he said, speaking into the watch. "Tanner is much more dangerous than you know. You have to back out of the deal. Meet me in five minutes-" he looked around for a moment "-on the roof of the Branshire building."

"Who are you?" Burke asked.

Bryce grinned cheekily and pulled him along behind him as he made his way towards the neighboring Branshire building. When he was sure Burke was following, he pulled out Burke's gun and took out the bullets, before handing it back to him. "Don't think this means I trust you," he said.

He entered the building first, flashing a smile at the young female secretary at the front. She blushed, and he walked right past her to the door marked "Employees only" in the back. He pulled a small lock-breaking device out of his pocket and attached it to the lock outside the door. The small red numbers ticked across the screen until the found the right combination, and the lock clicked open. Bryce detached the device and went inside, pulling the slack-jawed agent behind him. He found the service elevator, went inside, and pushed the button for the top floor.

Then he let the stream of questions that were firing out of Burke's mouth wash over him as he waited for the elevator to reach the top.


	2. Chapter 2

Neal was close to sealing the deal with Tanner, a man whom they were chasing for his dirty dealings moving forgeries. He was about to pull it all together when he heard a voice in his ear, through his earpiece.

"Neal," it said. "Tanner is much more dangerous than you know. You have to back out of the deal. Meet me in five minutes on the roof of the Branshire building."

"Thank you, gentlemen," Neal said, rising from his seat. "I do have another… let's call him an acquaintance, who has an interesting deal to offer me. I will meet with him shortly, and give you a call if I decide your offer is what suits me best. Thank you for your time." He walked out of the club, leaving Tanner behind with a particularly annoyed look on his face.

Neal walked straight out of the club and down the street until he was in front of the Branshire building. He had an idea of whose voice it was in his ear, but he didn't want to get his hopes up too high. It had been years...

Neal flashed a smile at the young secretary in the front of the building. She looked confused, but didn't stop him as he walked to the back of the lobby. He pulled out his lockpick set and made quick work of the lock, before finding the service elevator in the back. He waited patiently for it to come down, and then he got on and pushed the button for the top floor.

The elevator was taking far too long in his opinion, but finally he reached the top and nearly ran out. There was a short flight of stairs to get to the roof, and Neal bounded up them two steps at a time.

He reached the top, and the first thing he saw was Peter, looking supremely annoyed, as well as thoroughly confused. He let his eyes pass over him and rested them on the man dressed in a crisp suit, looking like his own reflection in the mirror.

Neal paused for only a second before running out onto the roof and meeting Bryce halfway. They pulled each other close in a fierce hug, both feeling the emotions that didn't need to be spoken.

It would have been picturesque, two long separated twin brothers reuniting on a roof in the middle of New York City, finally embracing each other after years apart… if it weren't for the disgruntled agent standing next to them. "Can someone tell me what in the world is going on?!"

Neal laughed as he pulled away from Bryce. "Peter, I'd you to meet my twin brother."

He let Bryce introduce himself, as he couldn't be sure what name he was using at the time. "Agent Bryce Larkin," he said.

"Wait, agent?" Peter exclaimed, and Neal was no less surprised.

Bryce nodded, looking his brother in the eye. "CIA."

Neal chuckled. "You always were the good one."

Just then Peter and Neal heard voices in their ears. It was Diana, back in the van, worried about what happened to their sting.

Peter took out his phone and called her, telling her that it temporarily fell through. She and Jones should go back to the office and sit tight, and Peter would call her when he could.

Meanwhile, they had a lot to discuss.


	3. Chapter 3

Peter, Neal, and Bryce went back to Neal's apartment. It was midday, but Neal grabbed a bottle of wine and glasses, and a beer for Peter.

Peter contained himself for about two seconds while the wine was being poured, but as soon as Neal put the bottle down on the table, he couldn't hold it in any longer. "Tell me everything."

Neal took his jacket off, and Bryce loosened his tie. "Give us a minute, Peter," Neal said.

He led Bryce to the back room, where they could have some privacy for a minute. "I didn't realize I missed you so much," Bryce said.

"Yeah," Neal said, agreeing wholeheartedly. When he said goodbye to his brother all those years ago, he did the best he could to erase him from his life, knowing he could never see him again. Now that he was looking at him, he acutely felt the gap that had been missing in his life for so long.

"Peter-"

"Agent Burke," Bryce said, looking knowingly at Neal.

"Yeah," Neal said with a crooked smile. "Agent Burke. He's my friend, I trust him."

Bryce raised his eyebrow skeptically.

"But he doesn't need to know everything," Neal finished.

Bryce smiled. "Just like old times."

Neal laughed. "I guess so. But we don't have to lie this time."

"And then get rid of him, will you? Bryce asked. "I haven't seen you in years."

"I'll give him the broad strokes, and then you'll have to tell him what you know about Tanner. Then I'll get him to leave."

Neal led the way back to the table, where Peter was sitting, sipping his beer. He looked impatient, to say the least. "Okay, spill," he said.

Neal took a sip of his wine, snuck a look at his brother, and began.

"Bryce and I are twins," he started. "We grew up together, took care of each other when no one else did." He ignored the hard look from Bryce and the curious look from Peter, and continued. "When we turned 18, we changed our names and left home together. We spent a couple years traveling, pulling off cons to make enough money for the flight to the next place. Those were some of the best cons of my life. Being identical, we were able to pull some pretty spectacular ones by posing as one person in two places."

Bryce laughed, recalling a memory. "That job at the Smithsonian," he said, looking at Neal. "I laugh every time I picture the security guard's face."

Neal joined in laughing. "Relax, Peter," he said, enjoying the look of exasperation on his face. "Passed the statute of limitations."

"Those were some of the best years of my life," Neal said once they had calmed down. "But all good things must come to an end eventually."

"Why?" Peter asked. "Did you get caught?"

Neal and Bryce laughed, and Peter got chills from how identical they were, even in their mannerisms. "We don't get caught," Bryce said. Neal avoided Peter's eyes.

"Bryce said he was done," Neal said quickly, not allowing Peter time to respond. "He wanted out."

"We were good at what we did," Bryce said. "But I wasn't ready to do it forever."

"We changed our names again," Neal said. "I became Neal Caffrey, he chose Bryce Larkin. I went to Europe, worked with some guys I ended up regretting, before I found a partner in Mozzie. But no one was as good as Bryce."

Bryce nodded. "I've had my fair share of partners since then, too. Some better than others, but no one like Neal. He and I could read each other's thoughts from a mile away if we needed."

"So then you joined the CIA?" Neal asked. This side of the story he didn't know.

"I actually went to college," Bryce said. "Stanford."

Neal laughed. "So that's why you had me forge the high school transcript. Figures. You know, I could have forged a diploma, too. Would have saved you a lot of trouble."

Bryce shook his head. "Going to Stanford was the right decision. I met a friend there- I think you would like him, Neal- and got recruited by the agency straight from there."

Peter was impressed. He'd heard of CIA recruiting- the only way to get into the CIA, since they didn't exactly take applications- but he'd never known someone to be recruited so early. But given Bryce's similarity to Neal, he couldn't say he was exactly surprised. "And from there?" he prompted, as both brothers had stopped speaking.

"That's classified," Bryce said. Peter huffed in frustration, and Neal laughed.

"Fine. But tell me about Tanner. You blew our case today, and I need to say something to my team."

"Mitch Tanner. He's a big international dealer, and he sells whatever he has to the highest bidder. No loyalty."

"We know that," Peter said. "We were planning to take him down for his illegal art sales before you interrupted."

"I've been tracking him for weeks. Illegal art sales are only a small part of his business, it just finances the rest."

"And the rest is what?" Neal asked, interested in what was so much more valuable than the art he was about to sell the man earlier that day.

"Information," Bryce said. "In this case, top secret information from Russia. We'd like to get our hands on it."

"Why not just buy it?" Peter asked.

"We're the CIA," Bryce responded. "The reason they train people like me is so that we don't have to buy it."

Neal finished his wine, and took the empty glasses and Peter's bottle to the counter. "Are you going to go brief Jones and Diana now?" he asked Peter.

"I guess I have to," Peter said. "Bryce, would you allow us to work with you on this? You'll get the intel, we'll put the art dealer behind bars."

Neal watched Bryce's face as he considered the offer. "Okay, but a few conditions," he said. "Your team, and the FBI as a whole, doesn't know about me. And only I handle the intel." Neal could tell there was something Bryce wasn't saying, but he wasn't about to challenge him in front of Peter.

"I think I can work with that," Peter said.

The tension in the room seemed to break, and all three men relaxed a little. "So you went to college and Neal didn't?" Peter asked, smiling slightly.

"You never went back to school?" Bryce accused Neal.

Neal smiled. "I have several PhD's. Does that count?"

Bryce laughed.

"And you carry a gun?" Peter said.

Both Neal's and Bryce's smiles slid from their faces, and they shared a dark look that held hidden secrets.

"Yeah," Bryce said. There was no accompanying explanation. "Which reminds me…" he reached into his pocket and handed Peter back the bullets that he'd taken out of the gun. "These belong to you."

Peter grunted his thanks and Neal laughed. "Would've loved to see how that happened."

"He's really an easy target," Bryce said, and they both laughed harder.

"Well, that's my cue to go," Peter said. "Bryce, good to meet you. I look forward to working with you. And Neal, I'll come by tomorrow morning to pick you up."

"Thanks, Peter."

Both brothers watched as he left the room, before turning to each other. It was time to talk, for real this time.


	4. Chapter 4

There was silence until they heard the front door close. Neal walked over to his door and closed it. They had kept their secrets for so long, it was just instinct to make sure this conversation would not be overheard.

"God, Nicky." Neal broke the silence.

Bryce chuckled. "It's been awhile since anyone's called me that, Danny."

"Tell me everything. Stanford? How was that?"

So Bryce started telling Neal about everything that had happened since they parted nearly a decade earlier. Everything- even what the government had deemed classified.

Neal listened without interrupting, amazed at how his brother and old partner-in-crime had changed and gone straight. He laughed at the stories about Bryce and Chuck in college (of course he would revert back to the nerdy kid who coveted the other kids' video games when he was around Chuck), grinned when Bryce described Sarah (particularly when he described her in a bathing suit on the beach), and gasped when he talked about when he died (he had always imagined his twin brother alive, and hated to hear that he'd almost lost him and had no idea).

Then it was Neal's turn. He told him about the cons he pulled across Europe, the less-than-savory partners he worked with, and forging the bonds. He talked about finding Mozzie (and that for his first long con, he took his brother's first name), loving Kate, and being caught by Peter. And finally he told him about the deal he made with the FBI, which led to his involvement in the Tanner case.

"You're on an anklet?" Bryce asked, amazed.

"Not right now," Neal said. "Peter takes it off when I go out in the field, so it's off now for the Tanner case."

Bryce chuckled. "Wow, Danny. I've never known you to be restricted by anything."

Neal shrugged. "It was the price to pay."

They had both led hard lives, which hadn't gotten any easier when they split up. Neal spent four years in prison, and Bryce was repeatedly tortured due to his work with the CIA. There was an unspoken agreement to leave those things behind, though, and so Bryce turned to the present.

"You trust Peter, don't you?"

"With my life," Neal responded. "But not with my secrets."

Bryce understood. Chuck and Sarah were both people with whom he shared more of himself than everyone else, but not necessarily the truth. He trusted them to have his back, but knowing the real him was entirely different.

"What didn't you tell Peter?" Neal asked.

"The CIA wants Tanner dead," Bryce said. "He's stolen from our government in the past, and they told me in no uncertain terms to acquire the information and then take out the target."

Neal shuddered slightly, and Bryce thought about the hours of gun training they had as kids. He could still recall with crystal clarity the moment when he decided he would never be without his gun, the same moment that Neal decided he would never carry one. For their similarities, there were also plenty of stark differences.

"Will you help me?" Bryce asked. "If you don't, you know I have to go ahead on my own."

"Maybe there's a way…"

Bryce smiled. Neal had always been the idea guy, and Bryce always had to reign him in. Now he had the look in his eyes that Bryce knew meant he had a plan.

Neal told him the plan, and Bryce was on board. "This is going to take some work, so let's get started."


	5. Chapter 5

Peter pulled up to the curb the next day, and honked his horn. He watched as the door opened, and two identical men appeared. Neal, dressed to the nines as always with a skinny blue tie and his signature hat, descended the stairs towards Peter's car. He waved goodbye to Bryce, who was standing wearing sweatpants in the doorway, and got inside.

"Hey, Peter," he greeted him when he got in the car and they drove away from the curb.

"How was your reunion?" Peter asked, glancing at Neal beside him.

"It was...strange," Neal responded. Peter took his hesitation as a sign of the truth, and let him continue. "I mean, I hadn't seen him in so long. We said goodbye, and that was supposed to be that."

Peter nodded, although he couldn't really imagine what he was going through.

"It was great to see him again though. And as a CIA agent, no less."

"Jealous?" Peter asked, poking fun at him.

Neal laughed. "No, I just never thought he would go that route. We were so similar growing up."

"And now you're a criminal and he's in law enforcement," Peter finished.

Neal threw him a dirty look. "We were both criminals for a while, remember?"

"You know, you're not so different now," Peter said. "You might have gotten caught, but you're working with the Bureau now. It's not the CIA, but it's still law enforcement."

Neal shrugged and lapsed into silence. Peter sensed he had talked about himself too much already, especially about something so personal. The rest of the ride was quiet.

Peter had expected a reaction from Diana and Jones, but Neal was caught off guard when he stepped into the office and Diana was in front of his face. "What the hell happened yesterday, Caffrey?" It seemed time had not softened her anger about the blown operation.

"It was my fault," Peter said. Diana turned to him, confused. "Why don't we take this up to the conference room?"

When they reached the conference room and everyone had taken a seat, Peter spoke. "There was more to Tanner than we had thought," he said. "His art dealing is more of a side business, something to finance his travel and his employees."

"So what's his real business?" Jones asked.

"Information," Peter said. "We don't know for sure how he gets his hands on it, but he'll sell it to the highest bidder."

"That makes sense," Neal said, playing along. "It can be on something as small as a usb or microchip, easy to transport, and very lucrative if you can get it to the right people."

"Ever sold any?" Diana asked.

Neal shook his head. "Not my style. Usually the information stolen is dangerous, like weapons and government secrets."

"So we can't just take him down for art," Peter said. "We have to find the information, and hopefully we can get an espionage conviction."

"Why is this our department?" Jones asked.

"An espionage conviction is really hard to get once the information is stolen. So we'll probably be sending him away for art fraud. Also, Neal's skill set might come in handy on this case."

Neal's smile made Peter regret the compliment.

"Neal will go in again today, say his other deal fell through," Peter said.

"I'll meet with Tanner on his terms, which will be the secure location where he's holding everything," Neal said. "While I'm there, I'll snatch the information, and try to get a confession. Then we'll deal the art, and you can come in and make the arrest."

"You'll be able to get away and find the information?" Peter asked.

"Let's just say there was allegedly a job I pulled where I stole a statue and a painting in two different rooms, all in the time span of the guard change."

Peter shook his head. "Forget I asked."

Just before lunch, Neal left his desk to go to the bathroom. Making sure he was alone, he pulled out his phone.

"Hey," he said, when the person on the other line picked up.

"How's it going?" he heard the smile on the other side of the line. "Are they buying it?"

He smiled, and adjusted his tie in the bathroom mirror. "Completely. You wear this every day?"

Neal, sitting at home in front of his sketchbook and charcoals, laughed. "Do you like the hat?"

Bryce laughed. "I can not believe your signature look is a fedora. And that now I'm stuck wearing one."

"Comes in handy in a heist," Neal said. "Your face is hidden from the cameras."

"Good to know," Bryce said.

"So, what's the plan?" Neal asked.

Bryce told him about Peter's plan to meet Tanner, and relayed the address Tanner gave them for where the meet would take place.

"Perfect," Neal said. "Just make sure you're not around when Peter decides to put the anklet back on."

"Don't worry, I won't be," Bryce said. "We're swinging by June's first, so I can change."

"I'll lay out the right clothes on the bed, and I'll leave before you get there."

"And the earpiece?" Bryce asked.

"I'll put it in the front right pocket of your pants," Neal said. "Let me know when you have it in."

"Alright, see you there," Bryce said, and hung up. He headed out of the bathroom and back towards Peter. It was all too easy to channel Neal's typical excitement at a con; he could feel the old rush coming back, himself. He was technically on a mission, but he was much more excited than normal at the prospect of working side by side with his brother again. And it was one of his easier missions, after all.

"Neal," Peter barked from the top of the stairs. "Are you ready?"

Bryce flashed Neal's trademark smile. "Let's go."


	6. Chapter 6

Neal laughed to himself when he hung up on Bryce. He could only imagine how much fun Bryce was having impersonating him, not to mention the rush he got from keeping something from the FBI.

He went to his closet and changed into dark pants and a black shirt, completing the look with a leather jacket. He chose a matching outfit and placed it on his bed for Bryce to wear, slipping one of Bryce's top-of-the-line CIA earpieces into the front right pocket. Then he grabbed his lock picks and put his own earpiece in his ear. Finally, he picked up one last piece of equipment. Just holding it in his hand sent shivers down his back. He tucked it into his waistband, and left June's. He watched from around the corner as Peter and Bryce pulled up in front of the house, and then he headed out to the address where they'd meet Tanner.

The location was a house, but it was well set apart from all of its neighbors. There was a large gate in front, and a long driveway. Neal snuck around the perimeter, wary of the doors in case anyone came out, before he found an area where the fence met a brick wall. Neal pushed himself up using the fence and swung his body over the wall. From there, he crept towards the house, pulling out his lock picks on the way. He approached a backdoor, picked the lock, and let himself in, descending the small set of stairs in front of him.

"I'm coming up the walk now," came Bryce's voice in his ear. "Peter gave me a watch, but the transmission is off right now. I'll slip it to you when we switch, don't forget to turn it on before you make the final deal."

"Got it," Neal responded. "I'm inside, I think near the basement."

Neal cut off as he heard a door open in his ear, and Tanner's voice, although soft. Bryce's earpieces really were good. "Good afternoon, Mr. Ramsey." Jonathan Ramsey was Neal's cover for the case. "I see you have come to your senses."

"You made the better offer," Neal heard Bryce respond.

Neal, still listening to the exchange, turned his focus to the room around him. It was a pantry, stocked with mostly with wine. Neal exited that room cautiously, keeping an eye out for Tanner's men, but they all seemed to be with Tanner and Bryce. That suited Neal just fine. He looked around at the doors around him, and saw one with a lock on it. He picked the lock and went inside.

He could tell he had found the right room. There was nothing inside but a large picture on the wall, and not a very good one. Neal lifted it off the wall with ease, snorting at the safe that it had been hiding. For someone on the CIA's radar, he had sadly underestimated the amount of security he needed.

It took Neal only a few minutes to pick the lock on the safe, listening carefully for the clicks in the combination. When he was done, he put his earpiece back in his ear and opened the safe.

Bryce was still talking logistics with Tanner, and Neal knew he was drawing out the conversation. It didn't matter much if Tanner paid an extra thousand dollars for the forged painting, but Bryce was negotiating him up to give Neal time.

The safe held a small flash drive, no larger than Neal's thumb. He took only a moment to marvel at the fact that the small object in the safe was the death sentence for Tanner. He slipped the gun from his waistband and placed it in the safe beside the flash drive, and left the safe door ajar. He exited the room, leaving that door slightly open, too.

"It's done," he said.

In his ear, he heard Bryce agree on a price with Tanner. He made his way up to the first floor, and back to where he heard voices. He slid into a closet, concealing himself.

"Before we shake on it, I'm in the mood for a drink," Bryce said. "And maybe a quick tour? I'd love to see the place."

Tanner sounded disgruntled, but he acquiesced. "After you," Neal heard Bryce say. Neal watched out of a crack in the door as a man dressed in a suit walked by. That was Tanner; he was followed by three large men in dark clothing, with bulges under their shirts. Finally there was a fifth man, with a sleeker build in a leather jacket. Neal snuck out of the closet, palming the watch Bryce handed him, and slipped it on as Bryce entered the closet.

Tanner turned, gesturing at the paintings on the walls. "You're painting will be added to this collection, Ramsey," he said.

"I can't wait," Neal said. "Just the drinks then, and shall we get back to it?"

Tanner nodded and gestured for one of his men to grab a bottle of wine. As it was uncorked, Neal turned the transmission on on his watch. They made their way back to Tanner's office.

"An excellent choice," Neal complemented, after a sip. "Although it's a shame we couldn't have let it sit for a while more."

"Yes, a shame," Tanner said sarcastically. He clearly wanted to finish the deal.

Neal turned back to business, opening the case that Bryce had left behind. He took a look at the painting inside. "She's a beauty," he said. He meant it; he'd painted it.

"Yes, yes, marvelous painting," Tanner said. Neal couldn't help but grin.

"I got it and I'm in position," Neal heard Bryce say in his ear.

Neal turned to one of the goons, handing him his empty wine glass. The man took it and walked out of the room, and Neal knew everything was in place.

With a nod, Neal reestablished the price that Bryce had negotiated moments before. Tanner agreed, and Neal pushed the painting towards him. In exchange he was handed a briefcase full of money. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Tanner."

"Likewise," he grunted, clearly meaning the opposite.

Neal grabbed the briefcase and was headed towards the door when it was broken open. Shouts of "FBI!" and "Drop your weapons!" filled the room. Neal stayed behind Peter as Tanner and his goons were cuffed. He neglected to mention that there was one goon missing. He led the party outside of the house through the front door.

Neal forced himself to keep his stride relaxed and his hands unclenched. He kept his eyes straight forward, not daring to turn around.

There was a gunshot, and Neal dropped to the ground, covering his head with the briefcase, although he knew he wasn't in any danger. He and Bryce had learned to shoot together, and they were both perfect shots.

There was a second gunshot, and Neal knew it was over. But he stayed on the ground, and didn't find it hard to start shaking a little.

"Everyone okay?" Peter called out.

"Tanner's down!" Neal heard Diana yell.

"Neal, are you alright?" that was Peter again, and his voice was softer and right by his ear. Neal let the briefcase slide off the back of his head and accepted Peter's hand helping him up. He averted his gaze from Tanner's body. "Yeah, I'm alright," he said quietly.

"Okay, stay here with Jones. Diana, follow me, we're going to check the house."

Neal watched as Peter and Diana ran towards the house, until Jones put his hand on Neal's back. "Help me bring these guys to the cars, Caffrey," he said.

Neal grabbed one of the goon's arms and they marched over to the cars. Jones put them inside, making sure the doors were locked, and turned back to the house. "What do you think that was about?" he asked.

Neal looked at the house for a second, and then back at the two guys in the cars, and then acted as if he'd put something together. "Wait, there were three guys. One of them took my wine glass before you guys stormed the place. Could it have been him?"

"That's not a bad guess," Jones said.

"But why would he shoot his boss?" Neal asked, swallowing deeply. "And why not shoot the other guys? And what was the last gunshot?"

"Did you get the information?" Jones asked.

Neal shook his head. "I found a safe in the basement, but it wasn't there. Why?"

"Maybe the guy shot his boss to keep quiet where the information is being kept."

"And the second shot?" Neal asked.

Their conversation was interrupted by Peter and Diana emerging from the house. "It was a third one of Tanner's men," Peter said. "He shot Tanner, then shot himself."

Neal turned away, swallowing convulsively again. He knew everyone was watching him, and he knew the more he sold it the less likely Peter would connect him to the murders through Bryce.

"Did you find the information, Neal?" Neal kept his back turned to Peter. "Neal."

"What?" Neal asked. "Oh. No. I found a safe in the basement but there wasn't anything inside. Maybe he moved it, knowing I was coming for the art sale."

"Yeah, maybe," Peter said.

Neal let his eyes rest on Tanner's body again, still lying in the middle of the driveway. "Peter..."

"Come on, Neal, I'll take you home. Diana, Jones, take these guys back to interrogation. See what they know about the information, but I doubt it'll be much."

"Yes, boss," Diana said. She and Jones got into the cars and drove off.

Peter and Neal followed in the next car. Peter allowed the drive to be mostly silent, which Neal appreciated, until they were a block from June's. "You want me to come up with you?"

"No," Neal said, "I'm fine. And you probably have to get back to the office."

"Ok," Peter said. He seemed to want to say something else, but didn't, and Neal turned his gaze out the window. "What about Bryce?" he said.

"What about him?" Neal asked, seeming uninterested in the change of topic.

"I don't know, I just figured he'd be there..." Peter trailed off.

"Once I tell him I didn't get the information, I expect he'll leave," Neal said, letting the gloom he actually felt at his brother's departure seep into his voice. "He had a mission to complete, of course."

"Right," Peter said. Another pause. And then, "I'm sorry."

They had pulled up in front of June's house. "Don't be sorry, Peter. I got to see him again, got to know he's alive. That was more than I could ever have hoped for."

Peter nodded. Neal went to open the door, but Peter called him back. "I need the watch back," he said, "and you need this."

"Right," Neal said, eyeing the anklet with distaste. He slipped the watch off his wrist and handed it back to Peter, and then gave Peter his ankle. The anklet closed and the light turned green, and Neal headed out of the car.

"Call me if you need me," Peter said.

"Ok," Neal said. "Thanks for the ride."


	7. Chapter 7

Bryce was waiting for him at the top of the stairs, with a big smile on his face. "Another score for the Barker brothers!"

Neal couldn't help it, he smiled too. "You got it?"

Bryce held up the small flash drive that had been in the safe.

"And which gun did you use?"

"His," Bryce said. "You were right, I didn't need mine at all, but it was good to have it on me anyway."

Neal chose to ignore this comment and focused on the fact that he had just successfully run a con with his brother, after so many years.

Bryce seemed to feel the same way, so Neal poured drinks and they spent an hour reliving it, as they used to do back in cheap hotel rooms after a big score.

Too soon, the hour had come to an end. Bryce's phone buzzed. "It's from my boss," he said. "She needs me to give a report ASAP."

"Right," Neal said. "Of course."

The two brothers embraced, and Bryce looked seriously at Neal. "You know, you could come with me. I'm sure the agency would take you. We could travel the world again, this time legally."

Neal smiled a bitter smile, and held up the leg of his pants. "I can't."

"Cut it," Bryce said. "The CIA would clear you, I know they would, set you up with a new identity. They've done it with me a thousand times."

"That life is not for me, Nicky. You know that."

Bryce nodded. "Goodbye," he said. Short, sweet, not drawn out. That was how they always did it.

"Bye," said Neal.

Bryce walked to the door, then turned back. "Danny, take this." He held out a small card with a phone number on it. "You can always reach me on this number. It might take me some time to get back to you, but I always will. Once the anklet's gone, give me a call if you change your mind."

Neal nodded, and looked down at the number on the card. When he looked up again, Bryce was gone.

* * *

The end. Thanks for reading!


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